Tired of Waiting
by Dragonflys-Girl
Summary: I can’t wait any longer, Gibbs, especially when the wait’s indefinite [Kibbs]


Title: Tired of Waiting  
  
Author: Claudia J. Chan (Claudie)  
  
Genre: Angst and Romance (Gibbs / Kate... is it KIBBS or GATE??)  
  
Archive: So far, it's only on fanfiction.net. There is something I need to do with my website before it's gonna be working nicely again... stupid me...  
  
Spoilers: Dead Man Talking – sort of a post-ep thing  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own the characters, but I'd like to consider this plot my own little imagination... *grin*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So, you going out with that guy?" Gibbs asked when he and Kate were the only two people in the bullpen.  
  
She seemed taken aback by his question. She looked at him for a while before answer, "You mean Dwayne? Yeah."  
  
"Are you," he faltered for a while, not knowing the right word to use, "happy?"  
  
Kate bit her lips while watching him watch her, "Yeah. I guess I am."  
  
She continued to watch him while he returned to getting his things together. She was surprised by his question: she had expected neither the question nor the tone he used. Kate shook her head, attempting to clear up the fog that was clouding her mind.  
  
He sounded like he was wounded – and jealous – that he would like nothing better than to rip Dwayne into pieces if he could.  
  
"Dwayne's not in NCIS, you know," she said softly. Kate was surprised she gave out the information. "So that won't be a violation of your rule #12."  
  
"I see," his voice was tight, and his features were stern. "I'm glad you've found someone, Kate. Just don't let it interfere with your work and your priorities."  
  
Silent indignation fired up inside Kate, "Well, you surely didn't sound glad. Gibbs," she retorted, her words dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"No, I don't suppose I did," he finally looked at her square in the eye. "I don't think I am glad. I take that back."  
  
Kate felt like a deflated balloon, all the fiery inside her disappeared by his intense look.  
  
"Why?" she whispered.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why aren't you glad?" she had to know. She needed to know if he felt for her what she felt – No, stop that now. You're with Dwayne. Do NOT think about that.  
  
He was silent for a long time, staring at something above her shoulder behind her.  
  
"Gibbs?"  
  
"I thought we had something," he finally muttered. Kate had never seen the Gibbs standing in front of her. When she looked into his eyes, she could see the emotions in them. She stood there and waited for him to continue.  
  
"I thought we had something going on, and we would get around to exploring that something one day," he continued. "But I guess now, that won't happen."  
  
He left her standing by herself in the bullpen. She was floored, and the feeling she tried so hard to suppress attack her in full force.  
  
Kate grabbed her things quickly and ran after him. She caught up with him by his car.  
  
"Why are you doing this, Gibbs?"  
  
He turned to look at her. The walls in his eyes were back on now, and she could see nothing but determination in those blue depths.  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"This," she waved her hand in frustration. "You look at me like it is my fault that we never get to explore this thing, as you put it so eloquently, between us. Why are you doing that?"  
  
"I don't know, Kate," Gibbs raised his voice in response, and the wall he just but back up started to scrambled. "Maybe you started dating someone?"  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" she was tempted to raise her voice to match his, but she didn't have the energy. The new found information floored her, and she felt weak inside. "What am I supposed to do? You were very explicit about how you see romance between agents. What am I supposed to think?"  
  
She couldn't stand to look at him anymore and turned away, wiping a tear that escaped angrily.  
  
His heart constricted painfully. For the first time in years, Jethro Gibbs acted according to his heart instead of his mind. He reached out and grabbed her by her shoulder, turned her to face him, and dipped his head down for a kiss.  
  
It was neither tender nor passionate, but one hard enough to punish and claim possession.  
  
"I'm sorry," he muttered against her lips and rested his forehead against hers. "I didn't mean to confuse you like that."  
  
"I know you didn't," she sighed and leaned back. "But they are still your rule."  
  
"I've been through that three times, Kate," he closed his eyes and let the pain of past relationships attack his system again. "I know. Relationship between agents never works."  
  
"Then I guess we should just pretend tonight never happened," she acclaimed with some finality and pulled away from the warm embrace she wanted nothing more than staying in forever.  
  
"Kate?"  
  
"I've waited since that time down in the sub," she waved her hand. "I can't wait any longer, Gibbs, especially when the wait's indefinite."  
  
He nodded slightly, "Then I guess we should just forget tonight."  
  
"Yeah," she choked out. "Goodnight, Gibbs."  
  
"Goddnight." 


End file.
